But he was close. And that might be good enough to convince NFL scouts that he’s getting even closer to becoming a reliably accurate quarterback prospect.

Locker completed 38 of 40 throws at the Dempsey Indoor Facility, mixing in short out-routes, slants, corner routes, and a couple of deep balls, also moving around well in the pocket and making throws on the run in either direction.

Locker was throwing to fellow Husky teammates Dorson Boyce, D’Andre Goodwin and Austin Sylvester, graduating seniors who also worked out for the gathering of NFL scouts, agents and media. ESPN3 even broadcast the event live on the Internet.

Some estimates I’ve read said there were as many as 12 NFL teams represented there. I spotted personnel from New Orleans, Cleveland, Tennessee, Minnesota, Indianapolis and the B.C. Lions of the Canadian Football League, as well as coach Pete Carroll, GM John Schneider and other Seattle Seahawks coaches.

Locker said he was pretty pleased with his performance, which he said easily topped how he threw at the NFL Scouting Combine.

“It was better,” Locker said. “It was more consistent. I think there was a few throws in the combine that I didn’t like and that I would have liked to do over again, and today I felt like every ball came off my hand good. I felt confident and it went where I wanted it to.”

He completed his first 35 passes before finally missing on a deep ball. His other incompletion was also a long pass down the middle that just escaped Goodwin’s grasp.

Locker’s workout was coordinated by Huskies offensive coordinator Doug Nussmeier, who coached Locker during his final two seasons at Washington. Nussmeier said the variety of throws Locker made Wednesday was designed to show that the quarterback can do what the NFL needs him to do.

“He just showed who he is,” Nussmeier said. “The reality was we did a bunch of stuff that the guys in the National Football League are going to want to see him do and stuff that he’s already put on film and we just did it again.”

Coach Steve Sarkisian praised his quarterback, too.

“He’s put in the time and it shows,” Sarkisian said. “He looked fantastic. As much as him throwing the ball and his footwork and all that, I liked his demeanor, too. Focused and serious and that’s what it takes in these settings. This isn’t an easy venue to throw the ball the way he did, with this much media and that many scouts and coaches. He’s a real pro.”

Senior analyst Rob Rang of NFLDraftScout.com said Wednesday’s performance can only help Locker.

“To me, what this showed is that given time, Jake Locker has shown significant improvement in terms of his footwork, in terms of his accuracy, the whole package,” Rang said. “So it just leads you to believe that with more time, he could absolutely be the accurate passer that’s needed as a starting quarterback in the NFL.”

Locker said he was invited by the league to attend the April 28 NFL Draft in New York, but that he’ll instead be watching with family and friends at his home in Ferndale, Wash.

“It’s an honor, and I appreciate the invite,” Locker said. “But for me, I want to be with the people that have been with me my whole life and helped me get to this point, and I want to share this experience with them and not all of them would be able to come to New York with me. So for me, it makes more sense to be at home where I grew up and where this all started.”

ESPN reported during the workout that linebacker Mason Foster was timed at 4.67 in the 40-yard dash, which Foster said afterward he was pleased with. We’ll have some more notes and quotes from Locker and Foster’s workouts later today.